The Panthers likely will only be able to re-sign one. Stephon Gilmore or Donte Jackson?
With the offseason officially here, we’ve been breaking down each position group on the Panthers roster.
Last season, cornerback was the Panthers’ deepest position. And perhaps they had too many. The Panthers made trades for C.J. Henderson and Stephon Gilmore midseason after rookie Jaycee Horn got hurt. They also had Donte Jackson, A.J. Bouye and Keith Taylor and others on the roster.
Now comes the tough part. Jackson and Gilmore are both unrestricted free agents, and the Panthers have to decide what they want to do.
Here is a look at what’s next for the cornerbacks on the Panthers’ roster:
Who to re-sign
The chances that the Panthers can sign both Jackson and Gilmore are slim to none. Jackson is looking for his first payday now that his rookie contract has expired, and Gilmore, who was the 13th-highest paid cornerback in the league at $13 million per year, is looking to re-up after another Pro Bowl year.
Both Jackson and Gilmore consider Charlotte home (Gilmore is from Rock Hill) and have said they would like to remain here.
But while general manager Scott Fitterer and coach Matt Rhule have maintained that they would like to keep both Gilmore and Jackson, that won’t be possible as they don’t have the cap space to do so.
Both cornerbacks will likely command at least $10 million per year.
The Panthers are going to have to decide between one or the other.
The pros and cons of re-signing Jackson
Jackson, 26, is just entering his prime and should only get better.
The former second-round draft pick has shown improvement each year, which included a fast start to the 2021 season. In 12 games, Jackson had 10 pass deflections, two interceptions, a forced fumble, 61 tackles and three tackles for loss.
He’s not afraid to make a tackle and was huge in run support last season. The biggest step he took was becoming one of the team’s leaders this past season. His teammates voted him team captain in training camp.
He and Horn could man both corner spots for years to come.
But while he’s made plays throughout his career, Jackson has a tendency to get beat, too. He allowed three touchdown passes and quarterbacks had an 86.5 passer rating when targeting him, which is average.
He also must stay on the field. Jackson has dealt with injuries in each of the past three seasons and has missed 10 games. He missed the team’s final five games in 2021 after tearing his groin muscle. He had surgery to repair it and is expected to make a full recovery.
The pros and cons of re-signing Gilmore
If you ask anyone on the team about Gilmore, they’ll talk about his intelligence. He’s meticulous about his craft. After a home or road game, he’ll head back to the stadium to start his treatment early. He studies and watches film religiously, and his teammates try to soak up as much knowledge from him as they can.
Gilmore made his fifth Pro Bowl this season, despite playing in only eight games.
He had some amazing games, like the one against Atlanta, when he shadowed rookie phenom Kyle Pitts and limited him to two catches for 13 yards in their Week 8 game. He also had an interception. There was also the game against the Patriots in Week 9, where he jumped a route by Jakobi Meyers before the receiver even made his break and intercepted the pass.
But Gilmore is 31, and he’ll be 32 next season. This is the age when cornerbacks start to decline. Against the Bucs in Week 16, Antonio Brown got the better of him in one-on-one coverage, when he had 10 catches for 101 yards.
Injuries have also emerged for the former NFL Defensive Player of the Year in recent years. In 2020, he dealt with a quad injury, which caused him to miss the final three games of that season, and the first seven of the 2021 season.
His missed the last two games of the 2021 season with a groin injury.
Under contract (8)
Jaycee Horn (Entering second year of a four-year, $21.1 million contract)
The Panthers invested a lot in Horn after taking him eighth overall in the 2021 NFL draft. Through the first 2 1/2 games he showed promise. He was targeted seven times and allowed only two catches for 18 yards. He also intercepted a pass in Week 2 against the Saints.
But Horn fractured his foot in Week 3 and did not return the rest of the regular season. He continues his rehab and should be ready by Organized Team Activities (OTAs).
A.J. Bouye (Entering the final year of a two-year, $7 million deal)
Bouye had his ups and downs in 2021, but he ultimately got lost in the shuffle with the additions of Henderson and Gilmore.
He played in 10 games in 2021, recorded 28 tackles, but missed the final three with a foot injury.
The Panthers may move on from him this offseason to create cap space. They can save about $3.5 million by cutting him before June 1, while incurring $1.2 million in dead cap space.
C.J. Henderson (Entering the third year of a four-year, $20.5 million contract)
The Panthers traded away tight end Dan Arnold and a third-round pick for Henderson and a fifth-round pick.
The former ninth overall pick in the 2020 draft showed flashes of potential but still got beat a few times. In 31 games, he had 31 tackles and two pass deflections. He’ll have to show some improvement this offseason, but the Panthers hope he can grow into a starter.
Keith Taylor (Entering the second year of a four-year, $3.8 million contract)
Taylor was thrust into the starting role at times last year when Carolina dealt with injuries to its starters. And at times, Taylor showed promise.
He played in all 17 games, started in three, and had 38 tackles and three pass deflections. At 6-3 and 195 pounds, he has good size to make plays and should improve next season.
Myles Hartsfield (Entering the final year of a three-year, $2.1 million contract)
Hartsfield, who primarily played nickel last season, plays with energy and always seems to be around the ball. The Panthers missed him when he went down with a wrist injury in Week 1.
He returned and didn’t miss a beat. In 10 games, Hartsfield had 45 tackles, one sack and four pass deflections.
Stantley Thomas-Oliver (Entering third year of a four-year, $3.3 million contract)
The former seventh-round pick is a solid special teams player for the Panthers who has played in 22 games in his first two seasons. He’ll continue to be a backup and special teams player for the Panthers moving forward.
Troy Pride Jr. (Entering third year of a four-year, $3.7 million contract)
The former 2020 fourth-round pick suffered a season-ending knee injury during the preseason. He has a lot to prove after struggling during his rookie season and not playing at all in Year 2.
Madre Harper (Enter first season of a one-year, $895,000 contract)
Harper signed a futures/reserve contract with the Panthers in January. He’ll be a practice squad candidate next season.
